Trapped in the Hyborean World
by Genseeker25
Summary: Cindy is trapped in a strange world full of dangers. She can't get home without help. She just didn't expect help from Conan the Cimmerian.
1. Origins

I don't own Conan or Jimmy Neutron characters though I wish I did.

A/N: Cindy is trapped in the world of Conan. Does she have a chance of survival in such a place? The gods don't think so. But than they didn't know about the Vortex determination and they certainly didn't reckon with Conan the Barbarian!

* * *

Cindy: _Ok so here I am in another dimension sitting next to a fire in the middle of nowhere with the most unlikely person as my protector and partner, Conan the Cimmerian. _She glanced over at Conan. He was tending the fire. He stood at over six feet tall and the muscle was bulging off of him. His attire was a mismatch of fur boots, cowhide pants and shirt. His wrists had leather gauntlets that matched the leather sword belt and scabbard that normally contained his sword. It was a sign of his trust of the girl that she was allowed to sit quietly and examine it. She herself was wearing fur boots, and a leather armorer vest.

_The Atlantean sword is incredible. I've never seen anything like it. _The hand guard and pommel were solid bronze. The hilt was engraved with a volcano that is erupting, and appears to be sinking into the ocean. The cross section looks like two sea monsters swimming away from the destruction. Her fingers glided along the runic inscription that was etched deeply down the first six inches of the blade. She turned over the sword and there was a matching inscription on the other side. The bronze hilt bordered the inscription with two parallel struts that formed a ricasso. She had seen the warrior shorten the stroke of the weapon by grabbing the blade by those struts. The pommel had a skull in the center of it beneath a piece of iron all within a funeral raft. The blade was double edged and the struts ended with hooked langlets that were 3.1 inches across before starting the cutting surface which was 2.1 inches across. The sword was relatively short at thirty-nine inches but it weighed seven pounds and twelve ounces making it hard to wield. But the warrior was so strong it appeared weightless in his hands.

_Conan had told her the sword told the story of the fall of Atlantis. It went something like this: There were once giants and they fooled the gods and stole steel from them. The gods were so angry that they destroyed Atlantis but forgot about steel on the battlefield and that is how men found it. I bet Neutron would laugh at that….Oh Jimmy…_

She looked around and the sun had just set but it was light enough for her to see across the desert terrain. A coyote howled in the distance and shivers went down her back. She tightened her hand on her sword grip without noticing she had done it. His horse stomped it's feet and snorted in response. Conan spoke "Calm, yourself Thunder" It's just a coyote." If he had noticed she had reacted in the slightest to the howl he didn't say anything.

_How did I come to be in this camp? Well it all started several months earlier Jimmy had managed to open a dimensional gate way into this world. I admit it sounded exciting when he asked me to accompany him here. We were holding hands when we walked into the portal together but for some reason I can't think of I stepped out into this world and he wasn't with me. To make matters worse there wasn't an opening on this side to go back through. I tried to wait around and even called out his name until my throat hurt and my voice was hoarse. But there was no sign of Jimmy. I'm sure he must be as worried as I am about him. _

_Anyhow a group of five bandits rode up on horseback and let's just say they didn't have my best intentions in their minds. _

_I wasn't going to be a willing victim that's for sure. I broke three of their noses and at least one wrist as they attempted to grab me. I used every martial art technique I knew and I left my attackers on the ground. I was sure I was going to be fine until one of the bandits raised his cross bow at me and I was sure I was about to die but that's when I heard the most terrifying sound. I have been since told it is a Cimmerian war cry. I never even saw him approach but suddenly he just hoisted the man right over his head and roared out "Five men against one! You cowardly dogs! He tossed the man right into a boulder and turned to face the other men that had brandished their swords. _

_I felt my blood go cold as I was sure that my rescuer was about to meet his fate. But he drew his sword and went into a defensive stance. He held the sword handle in his two hands and kept the blade vertical in front of his body. As the first attacker ran in Conan easily parried the sword out of the way and chopped the man's arm right off. In a fluid manner as if he had done this countless times he kicked the man in the chest knocking him off of his feet into the dust. He dropped to one knee and swung his sword over his own head placing the blade diagonally in time to block an attack from the rear he then pivoted and chopped off the man's leg. Another bandit ran in and swung over head with his sword but Conan caught his wrist and struck him right in the forehead with the pommel of his sword. Blood squirted out of the man's forehead and he dropped to the ground either dead or unconscious. The other two men retreated and ran back to their horses. Conan had yelled out insults to them as they rode out of sight. It was terrifying yet at the same time very exciting. _

After the fight Conan had turned and knelt as he spoke to her. "I am Conan from Cimmeria. You have nothing to fear from me girl. Come here. And tell me your name" Cindy had hesitated for a moment but his smile was reassuring and after all he did save her life. The Cimmerian was enormous. Even kneeling down she had to look up to make eye contact with him. But she held his gaze and bravely said "My name is Cindy Vortex from Retroville." The pride showed in her eyes. _His eyes are blue like Jimmy's oh I hope jimmy's ok. What could have happened to him?_

"Cindy Vortex?" He placed a hand on her shoulder and said "That was some bravery you showed for such a young girl. You have a warrior's spirit."_Only one female in all my travels ever showed this kind of spirit. Ha even now this girl refuses to show fear. _

Cindy asked "Are you ok? I mean they didn't hurt you did they?"

"Ha! I'll dine with Crom the day scurvy ridden dogs like that get the best of me."

"Who is Crom?"

"Crom is my god. He is strong and lives in his mountain, and when I die I will have to go before him."

"Oh, I see. I don't suppose you have seen a friend of mine around here? He's a young boy a tad shorter than I am and goes by the name Jimmy."

"I'm afraid not Cindy."

"I have never heard of this Retroville you speak of. Is this Jimmy from there as well?"

"It's a long way from here and I don't think I'll ever see him or it again" The look of disappointed was obvious.

"Cindy my friend Akiro might be some help in finding your home. He is a wizard and knows a great many things. If anyone would know how to get you home it would be him. He lives in a kingdom named Shadizar. We are a many moons from there but we can leave in the morning and start heading there if you like."

"Yes, Please! I would really appreciate that."

"Cindy if you're going to travel with me you will have to have some weapons and armor. You won't be safe dressed as you are now. We can stop by an armorer in Stygia to acquire you armor that fits. As for a sword, at this Conan walked over to one of the fallen bandits and pried the sword out of the cold dead fingers. "This will do for now Cindy" She looked disgusted but didn't complain as she wrapped her fingers around the handle.

"You can clearly fight but can you use a sword?"

"I haven't had any formal training to be honest."

"Well I'll have to change that. You'll need to learn swordsmanship to survive in this world. We can start your training tonight before we rest if you're ready.

"Ready when you are." Cindy put the same determination into learning swordsmanship as she did in competing with Neutron and she excelled at it. Conan was amazed at how fast she learned everything he taught. They had traveled from sunup to sunset for weeks and still Cindy would be ready to learn whatever she could. Conan was proud of his prodigy. She would often speak of her friend Jimmy and how she really hoped she would see him again soon. Conan smiled at her determination.

Once he said to her "This Jimmy must be some boy to have you fawn over him so much. I look forward to meeting him. He laughed to himself when she turned beat red and tried to deny liking him. Conan simply laughed and shook his head.

Cindy's gazed at the fire as her thoughts drifted to her first real sword battle as Conan's prodigy. They had been riding along a trail through the woods. Conan was leading the way on Thunder and Cindy was following close behind on her new horse Spirit when the path was suddenly blocked by armed men. Thunder reared up on his hind legs and Conan commanded him to calm down. The horse immediately obeyed.

One of the armed men stepped forward and demanded that Conan and his companion hand over their money. One of the men yelled out "and hand over the girl!" Conan slid off his horse and drew his sword.

Cindy jumped off her horse and stood beside him with her sword drawn as well. The next few minutes erupted in chaos.

The Men charged in with their swords and Conan went to work. Cindy did not fail to cover his back. One of the men ran at Cindy and she leapt into the air and did a flip over his head. She landed behind him and swung with all her might. _I really don't want to hurt someone but it's him or me! _ Her sword sliced the man from his right shoulder to his left hip. He collapsed to the ground. Cindy didn't have time to really lament what she had done because another bandit ran in and swung his sword at her. She had just enough time to duck under the blade and she rolled into a somersault and plunged her blade through his stomach. He was standing there clutching her blade and screaming. He spit blood on her and called her some insults she didn't recognize. She snarled and placed one foot on him she pulled hard and her blade slid free. The force sent him flying onto his back.

A third man closed in from the side and punched her right in the face and she hit the ground hard. He picked her up by her neck and slammed her against a tree. She was being choked and her feet were dangling off the ground. White spots started to appear in her vision and she knew she only had a few moments before she blacked out. She desperately pulled out her knife and started stabbing it into his forearms. She plunged the knife in rapidly and was dropped. She landed on her side and the now hysterical man was shouting and kicked her right in the stomach. He slammed into her stomach a second time but despite her choking and gasping for breath she caught hold of his leg and slammed the knife into his thigh she quickly interlaced her legs into his and twisted, causing him to slam face first into the ground. She crawled away and staggered to her feet. She leapt onto his kneeling body and drove her sword home through his heart. The man collapsed and was silent.

She wiped the blood from her injured nose and looked around for Conan. It turned out Conan had defeated the other seven of the men and now He was standing with his arms crossed. The pride showed in his eyes for his student.

He smiled and said "I'm glad you're alright. But I knew you would be fine. You are an amazing student." _She is so much like her. This could have been our daughter. Valeria would have been proud of Cindy. _

He reached out his massive hand to her and she took it and he pulled her to her feet. Cindy I have a gift for you. He went to his horse and pulled out a leather case that was a little over three feet long. He opened it up and pulled out a curved sword. It had a bronze engraved hand guard that had a demon face on both sides. It had a smooth oak grip that was lacquered to a dark brown finish. It was beautiful over all and Conan could see the excitement in her face.

"It's beautiful! Where did you get this?" She looked at him and met his gaze.

"It belonged to someone that was very close to me. She died in battle a few years back but I think she would have been proud to know someone like you was using her sword. You are as brave as she was Crom knows that for certain."

Cindy couldn't contain her grin and her cheeks flushed red at the compliment. "Thanks a lot. I really mean that."

"I was considering giving you this for a while. A great swordsman needs a great sword."

Her mind drifted back to the present. She had been in possession of Valeria's sword since that first month she had been here. It was a fantastic weapon to fight with. It held an edge remarkably well and was light yet strong. She was proud he thought so highly of her to give her this weapon. It had become an extension of her arm in a way that other sword never did. It made her feel sad that Conan lost his beloved Valeria. She must have been a remarkable woman.

Cindy had trouble sleeping that night because her mind drifted between her concerns over Jimmy and the events that had taken place in the several months she had been traveling with Conan. He had taught her to sword fight, to sneak around without being detected and to hunt off the land. They had gotten into many skirmishes along the way with bandits and warriors that wanted to make a name for themselves by being the one that took down the Cimmerian. Apparently his reputation preceded him where ever he went.

It should be noted that Cindy had fought many more times than what has been told in this tale as of this point. Soon like the Cimmerian her own victories could not be easily counted. She was gaining a reputation in the surrounding lands.

But in the morning she would reach Shadizar and this Akiro. Conan was certain that Akiro would be the answer to Cindy's dilemma. His confidence was reassuring. She fell to sleep and dreamt of happy times with Jimmy and the gang.

To be continued…..

* * *

Please review and let me know what you think so far...


	2. Shadizar reunions

I don't own any of the characters depicted in my stories though I wish I did.

* * *

Sunrise:

Cindy woke as the sun broke the horizon and was beaming right on her face. Her eye lids fluttered open and she had to shield her eyes from the light. She looked around and saw that Conan was already awake and practicing one of his sword katas. She got to her feet and dusted herself off did a quick stretch and then joined him. She mimicked his moves perfectly. She really was the best student he ever could have had. It filled her with pride when he praised her.

After practice was over Conan prepared a breakfast of eggs and jerky. They ate quietly and prepared to go. They mounted their horses and continued on their journey. Cindy started to ask if it was much further as they rounded the top of a hill but cut herself off when she saw the kingdom laid out in front of her. She gasped. It was more beautiful than she had dreamed it would be. The castle was shimmering white and was surrounded by green fields. People were busily going in and out of the courtyard in their errands. The city spread out in front of the palace and she could see the market center which was already bustling at this early time in the morning. If Cindy wasn't prepared for what the kingdom looked like she was even less prepared to the welcome they received as they entered the city.

Shadizar:

Conan and Cindy rode on their horses into the city streets through the main gate that allowed entrance into the massive perimeter wall that served as protection for the over ten thousand citizens that resided there. The crowd turned to see them approach and Cindy heard someone call out "It's CONAN!" Cindy's hand flew to her sword hilt but Conan told her to relax with a reassuring smile. The trumpets sounded from the palace as the murmur of the crowd surely reached it with news of Conan's arrival. People gathered along the street to cheer at Conan and his companion. Cindy felt really over whelmed. "Did you know this was going to happen?" She asked him. "I had a hunch it would" He smiled deeply and kept his horse moving at the same steady pace bringing them closer to the palace.

They reached the palace and dismounted their horses. A servant rushed out to greet them. "CONAN! Yelled a skinny scruffy looking man that ran and leapt into Conan's arms with such enthusiasm he even wrapped his legs around Conan's waist. Conan laughed deeply and said "It's great to see you again as well Malak. Come meet my friend Cindy"

Malak stepped back and turned to Cindy. He bowed with the up most courtesy and said "It's nice to meet you; any friend of Conan is a friend of mine." Cindy bowed her head at him and said that the feeling was mutual.

Malak led them into the throne room and seated in the throne was a beautiful blond woman wearing a soft white gown. She rose when they entered and Cindy could tell that it was taking all the training the woman had to not run into Conan's arms as well. She realized she had that thought to soon because a moment later the woman did just that. She hugged Conan tightly and tears were clearly visible in her eyes.

More people entered the throne room and joined the reunion. Cindy noticed a tall black woman approach that wore armor that had the imperial crest. _She must be the captain of the guard._

Conan turned to face the captain and called out Zula! And they grabbed each other's forearms in a tight embrace that seemed more personal than any handshake Cindy had seen back home.

She heard someone clear his throat and they all turned to look for the source. It was a short bald asian looking man dressed in fine robes. Conan stepped away from his friends and turned to greet the man directly. "Akiro! How are you old friend?" He called out! Akiro excitedly greeted Conan with a half bow that turned into a hug.

Conan introduced Cindy to everyone. They happily greeted her in response. Conan explained to his friends the circumstances on how he had became friends with Cindy and how she came to be his student and partner. He allowed Cindy to tell the parts leading up to her arrival from her homeland.

Akiro thought for a moment and then placed his hands together and started murmuring a chant. When he was done he said "I can sense a strange power coming from you Cindy. You definitely are not from this world. Search your pockets; are you by chance holding any kind of gems or metals?"

She searched her pockets and her fingers gripped onto something round in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked down at it. It was the pearl Jimmy had given her when they had been trapped on the Island together. She held it in her outstretched palm and showed Akiro. She explained how it was special to her. Akiro asked if he could hold it a moment and she dropped it into his palm. His eyes glazed over white and his mind saw the scene with Jimmy giving Cindy the pearl as if it he had been watching it himself.

His eyes cleared and regained their focus. "Cindy this boy, Jimmy you care about him a great deal, am I right?"  
She blushed but Akiro insisted it was important that she answer the question honestly. "Yes, I more than just care for him. The truth is I actually love him."

Akiro smiled at that. "Good, it will help us get you home."

Cindy excitedly blurted out "You really can get me home?"

"Yes, Cindy but I will need a special artifact to be able to open a gateway to your world. The trouble is that the artifact is kept by a fanatical group that worships the monster that guards it. It is a long perilous journey full of many dangers.

"I have to do it if it means getting home to….." her voice trailed off but Akiro finished it for her "To Jimmy?"

The raw determination roasted in her eyes and she stated bravely "I'll go alone if I have too."

Conan spoke up "Don't worry Cindy you aren't going alone." She felt more confident at hearing that.

"All of our friends have demanded to go with us."

Queen Jehnna offered to have an army go with them to ensure that they succeed. Conan and Cindy were flattered at the offer but Conan pointed out that a small group of thieves could sneak in and be off with the artifact better than an entire army. "If that is the case than allow me three days to prepare for our departure. I will order a better suit of armor for Cindy as well. Cindy thanked her from the bottom of her heart.

Jehnna turned toward Conan and asked "Conan do you mind if I take Cindy from you for a while? I feel we should have some girl time."

"Of course Jehnna as long as Cindy is comfortable with it." Conan replied.

"Cindy smiled and said I would be honored to speak with you Queen Jehnna."

"Cindy you don't have to call me queen. Please just call me Jehnna. Anyone that has gained the respect of Conan certainly has my respect Cindy. You must be a remarkable girl"

Cindy bathed in Jehnna's private bath chamber. The hot water felt amazingly good. It had been icecold streams for months. She relaxed in the soapy water and listened to the minstrel's music. It was the first time she had a real chance to relax since arriving on this world. She knew it was just the calm before the storm.

After her bath she stopped by the armorery to have her measurements taken. It was the next day that she received the finished armor Jehnna had promised. The suit was form fitting but was covered in scales. It had a maroon color to it which she found appealing. The suit was light weight and flexible but hard enough to protect her from puncturing or chopping attacks. It fit perfectly and Cindy attached her sword belt and went to find Conan so she could show him.

She entered the courtyard and found Conan praying on one knee while he rested his hands on his sword handle. The blade was sticking slightly into the ground. She stood back and waited so not to disturb him. When he finished he stood up and slid his sword smoothly back into its scabbard and turned around and finally noticed Cindy. "Well hello Cindy. I see you have gotten your new armor. It will serve you well. Just remember that when it comes to armor it is best to pretend you are not wearing it. Always avoid an attack whether the armor can handle it or not. The best defense is to not be where the attack is."

"I will remember that Conan" The smug and proud look in her eyes made him laugh. "Come Cindy, let's go find the others."

The three days passed quickly and the group prepared to go. Jehnna surprised them again when the armorer delivered armor for Thunder and Spirit to wear that matched the armor that the horses everyone else in the group was wearing. In total the group was Conan, Cindy, Akiro, Malak, Zula, and Jehnna. They mounted their horses and Akiro took point as they began their journey.

Along the way Cindy insisted that she should learn anything that the group could teach her. So she learned how to throw knives from Malak, Zula taught her how to use a spear, and she would spend hours speaking with Akiro over what he knew about magic. Everyone in the group adored Cindy and were more than willing to meet her demands to be taught the various skills they all had. Everyone was amazed at how fast she learned anything she set her mind to knowing. But no one was amazed as Akiro was when Cindy started using the simple spells he taught her.

To be continued…

* * *

Please leave a review


	3. The journey begins

On the road:

Akiro told them that their location was somewhere up Northwest in a land named Vanaheim. It was in the mountains on the other side of Cimmeria. Akiro explained how the land of Vanaheim was bordered by mountains on one side, the Pictish Wilderness and the Western Sea on another. The Vanir were not sea going but lived in small villages that were scattered along the seaboard. They were warlike and had many feuds with the Cimmerians.

The days went by pretty uneventful and they drew closer to their destination. Cindy saw the deserts turn to grassy fields and after what seemed like endless forests the ground started to get steeper and more treacherous. Akiro named off the locations they passed along the way and Cindy put them to memory. _This world really is beautiful. It's not over populated or strip-mined like back home. Cities are scattered hundreds of miles apart. There are plenty of resources for everyone. Yet the place is so primitive and everyone fights with each other. _

Cindy let her thoughts wander as she looked around at her surroundings. They were passing a large body of water and she could just make out the other side. She could hear the birds singing and insects buzzing around in the trees. A cool breeze came that was refreshing in contrast to the hot muggy weather. She watched as an eagle flew low along the water and snatched a fish.

Jehnna rode up alongside her and asked how she liked their world so far. The conversation eventually turned to Conan and Cindy was eager to hear how Jehnna had met the barbarian. Jehnna spoke of how she had her own quest to go on and how Conan had protected her and even saved her from being sacrificed. Cindy thought it was obvious that Jehnna had strong feelings for him so naturally she was curious why they weren't together. Jehnna told her that she had proposed marriage to Conan but he had declined with the claim that he would find his own kingdom and have his own queen.

Cindy thought over that and asked "how he would know something like that?"

"It was prophesized. It's his destiny." Jehnna looked sad when she said that.

"Hmm I guess it never occurred to him that you could be the queen that the prophesy spoke of. I'll speak to him about it later on your behalf Jehnna."

"Thanks Cindy, I hope you can talk sense into that man"

Akiro noticed the girls were caught up in their conversation so he decided it was time to discuss some things with Conan. "Conan I must speak to you"

"What is it old friend?"

"I wanted to tell you more about what we face before I discussed it with the others. The artifact is a magical device that can be used to open up doorways to other worlds that are parallel with ours. A gateway would be the best way to describe it. This gateway will be the perfect instrument to send Cindy home but it's builder thought it was too dangerous to be left out in the open where anyone could have access to it so it was hidden in a chamber that is behind where the Golgotha rests. We will have to get past it to get what we need. I don't see any other way around it"

"What is the Golgotha?"

"It is written in the scrolls of Skelos that the Golgotha is a demon of such ferocity that it was bound to its location by the gods. It is a deceiver and can appear as anything it wishes. It jealously hates living creatures and longs to be free so it can conquer and destroy. The cults of worshippers have been attempting to do obey it's command to be released. If this thing is free it will be the death of the world. I think it is no accident that we are on this quest. I believe the fate of the world rests in all our hands."

"Does it say anything on how to kill it?"

"It says that there is only one who could vanquish this demon. The Scrolls speak of a warrior child that would come from a distant land, with hair the color of gold and eyes like emeralds."

"Crom! Could it really be referring to Cindy?"

"I have every reason to believe it is Conan."

Conan looked at Akiro and smiled as he said "We shall see."

"I will speak with Cindy about this now and make sure she is prepared as best as possible for what is coming." Akiro rode to catch up with Cindy and Jehnna and asked if he could speak to Cindy for a while. Jehnna agreed and slowed her horse using this as an opportunity to speak with Conan herself.

Jehnna and Conan chatted about old times and she spoke of how her kingdom was doing. Conan spoke of his many adventures that he had been since he had last seen his friends.

After several weeks of travel they finally neared their destination. Cindy could see the tower in the destination. Akiro explained that at the base of the tower there was an opening into an underground labyrinth. At the Center of the Labyrinth was the chamber that held the Golgotha. If the Scrolls of Skelos are correct Cindy will be the only one who can kill the Galgotha. Cindy blew out some air at those words. _This is for Jimmy. _

The cult wasn't a problem like Cindy had assumed they would be. The group was highly skilled at sneaking in places and the cult really didn't expect anyone to willingly visit the monster. They made their way to the tower entrance in the night and once they were inside it was safe to light torches. Akiro was proud of his student as Cindy used her magic to ignite all the torches. They stuck close together and silently made their way. Akiro directed them to the room that held the entrance to the labyrinth.

Unlike the dry hallway of the tower the labyrinth was damp and you could clearly hear the sound of water dripping somewhere close by. The Ceilings were high, the walls were smooth and drab tan and the floor was tiled. It would have been easy to get lost if it weren't for Akiro's magic guiding them in the right direction.

Malak remarked "shouldn't we be checking out the routes we're passing by? Akiro shook his head at Malak and paused a moment at an intersection. He pulled out a handful of stones from a pouch and tossed the rocks along the path they weren't taking. Spikes suddenly shot straight out of the floor. Malak stared at the spikes and noticed a skull was still attached to one of them. "Feel free to wander around on your own if you feel too safe Malak." Akiro said. Cindy couldn't help but snicker at Malak's face.

Eventually they reached the entrance to the chamber that Akiro had spoke of. "Alright Cindy it's up to you at this point. Remember Cindy it can take any form it wants. It will try to trick you. It knows what you most fear and will use it against you. It will do anything to be free you must not let that happen. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I'm ready." Is everyone else ready?"

Conan smiled and said "I have complete confidence in you Cindy. Open the door."

Cindy reached out and grasped the handle. It turned and the door slowly opened. The room was bright in comparison with the labyrinth and it took a moment before her eyes adjusted. Cindy slipped in before she lost her nerve.

To be continued…


	4. The lair

Inside the lair of the Golgotha:

Cindy turned to see her friends but they were frozen in place as if time had stood still. Even a fly was stuck in midair. They couldn't help her now. "Akiro must be right. This really is up to me." The chamber was enormous and the ceiling must have been over a hundred feet in the air. The pedestals supporting the ceiling were carved out of stone and appeared to be writhing snakes. In the center of the room was a small boy kneeling and he looked sad. She approached slowly and was on her guard. Akiro's words echoed in her mind. "The creature will try to trick you."

She was within twenty feet of the platform and the boy looked up at her. She felt her heart skip a beat. It was Jimmy. His clothing was torn and he looked worn out. There was a cut on the side of his forehead and it was still bleeding slightly. She looked around and they were alone in the chamber. "Are you OK Jimmy? How did you get here?" He looked back at her and called out "Cindy? Is that really you?"

He got to his feet but the chains attached to his wrists kept him from approaching her.

Cindy stopped her own approach but it was one of the hardest things she ever had done since arriving here. There was the boy she had waited for and she couldn't trust that it was really him.

"Please Cindy!" he called to her. "You have to get me out of here!" His pleas made her heart tear but she remained firm. "How did you get here?" she demanded.

"I never stopped looking for you when I lost you through the portal. I don't know how we got separated but I never lost hope of finding you. But the last time I came through I was grabbed by some men and dragged down into this chamber to be a sacrifice. Please, you have to get me out of here before they return!"

"How do I know you're not the monster trying to trick me?"

"Cindy look at me. You know it's me" his look of desperation was heart wrenching. She was torn on her desire to help him and what she knew of her teachings from Akiro. Her mind turned to Akiro and how he had questioned her feelings for Jimmy. He must have known something like this would happen. He had told her to keep the pearl close and not lose it. She pulled out the pearl and showed it to Jimmy. "Do you know what this is?" Jimmy looked at it and replied "it's a pearl. But I don't see what that has to do with anything. Please you have to set me free"

"Answer one question first. Where did I get this pearl?" Jimmy's face went blank and he stared back at Cindy. His mouth curled into a cruel smile and all his teeth spear like. His eyes glazed over black and he laughed. The laugh had an echo that sounded bestial and demonic in the background.

"Very good Cindy it seems there is more to you than I anticipated. You are the only one that has ever approached that I failed to completely fool. It is most disappointing since you are the only one that could free me."

"I'll make a deal with you. Set me free and I'll give you the real Jimmy back."

"You're lying" Cindy's voice came out cold.

"Am I?" he snapped his fingers and in the back of the room a wall slid open and Cindy could see a small cell and within she could see a boy and a small mechanical dog next to him.

"She called out Jimmy! Goddard! is that you!" Goddard barked back happily. Jimmy was waving frantically and yelling for her to run!

"I knew one day that someone like you would come and my freedom would be at hand."

"What I told you wasn't a lie. My worshipers found your friend and brought him here." He really is devoted to you. since he arrived as my guest. He begged for any information in regards to your whereabouts. His devotion amused me so I decided to keep him as a plaything. It was enjoyable to torment him. One time I took your form that I had extracted from his thoughts and let him think you were rescuing him just to laugh at his disappointment. It is most interesting that the girl he was seeking was to be the very same one that I waited for. Once I had made the connection he refused to tell me anything more about you. He jealousy guarded anything more on you and resisted some of the most painful interrogation methods I have ever used.

"Ok so you have my friend. But I'm not freeing you no matter what! Don't make me kill you." She sounded more confident than she actually felt.

She received the demonic laugh in response. The boy that had pretended to be Jimmy shimmered and changed shape into a giant dragon like creature. It stood up and stretched it's wings. Cindy stood back and was stunned at the sheer arch of the wingspan. The wings fluttered and the gust of wind caused her hair to blow around wildly. She tied it back tighter and gripped her sword unsure of what to do.

"If you want your friend back you just have to get by me." It's eyes glowed green and the venom dripped from it's saber teeth. It dug it's claws into the ground and it's head lunged forward. Cindy rolled out of the way just in time. She swung her sword downward and it harmlessly clanged off it's scales. _I didn't know it could turn into something like that! What am I going to do?_

It veered up and Cindy concentrated and starting chanting one of the more difficult spells Akiro had showed her. The Golgotha spread it's jaws wide open and lunged forward. The spell was complete and a ball of electricity fired out of Cindy's hands and it slammed right into the open maw. The creature jerked away and writhed in pain as the electricity arced and caused involuntary muscle spasms.

That gave Cindy an idea. Akiro had told her that the creature was all but indestructible on the outside but soft on the inside. _I am going to need a lot of therapy after this. _ She ran close to the Golgotha and started chanting in that same manner. The Golgotha lunged in and swallowed Cindy whole.

Jimmy screamed "No!You killed her! I can't believe you killed her!" He dropped to his knees and broke down and cried. The monster turned to face him and laughed. "Something wrong Jimmy?"

The creature's eyes went wide and it reared up onto it's hind legs and clutched at it's stomach. The area was glowing red. The creature flopped on it's back and writhed and twisted as it's eyes boiled out of its skull and smoke was pouring out of the open mouth and nostrils. It's tail slammed into the walls and chunks of rock broke off and dust flew all around. The writing stopped and the creature was silent.

Conan and his friends were released from the magic that had bound them at the door and they raced forward to find Cindy. They stood and stared in awe at the dead creature. Akiro yelled out "She's done it!

Conan couldn't hide his concern "Akiro where is she!"

They heard a small cough coming from the mouth of monster and Conan drew his sword and approached cautiously. He peered into the mouth and was surprised to see a very exhausted Cindy covered soot and slime. He picked her up and carried her to Akiro. Akiro examined her and was relieved she was unhurt. "The spell she used is extremely draining. She will need to rest."

They heard the boy calling from the back room and Zula and Malak friend Jimmy and Goddard who shouted out their thanks as they raced to be by Cindy's side.

It took some time to reassure Jimmy that she would be ok but he eventually calmed down. They had a chance to speak as they gave Cindy time to rest. Conan approached Jimmy and looked him up and down. He smiled and shook Jimmy's hand. Jimmy's hand seemed to be swallowed up by Conan's. "So your this Jimmy that Cindy always spoke about." Conan knelt down and spoke quietly. "Between you and me kid she adores you."

Jimmy blushed, "She does?" He looked down at Cindy. She started to stir. Suddenly she was alert and leapt to her feet her hand going to her sword. Conan caught her and calmed her down. "It's alright Cindy. It's over. It's dead. She relaxed and turned to see Jimmy standing there. "Jimmy is that really you?"

She wanted to believe him but she had to be sure especially after what had just happened. Not to mention that this Jimmy looked identical to the other down to the cut on his forehead and worn ripped clothing. "Where did I get the pearl that I carry?"

"I gave it to you a few years back when we were stranded on "our" island together. I had to open 137 oysters to find it for you. It's me Cindy." He reached out to hug her and she rushed forward and held him tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder and cried freely.

They went into the chamber that held the septor. Akiro picked it up and slid it into this robes. "We will have to be a good distance from here before we can use this. The magic that bound the creature here will prevent a gateway from opening. They slipped back into the labyrinth and Akiro allowed Cindy to lead the way using her abilities which allowed him to prepare the spells they would need to open the gateway.

They snuck back to their horses and Jimmy sat on the back of Cindy's horse with her and held on tightly. Goddard hopped on with Malak and they rode off as fast as their horses could take them.

They made camp for the night. Cindy fell asleep right away. This gave the gang a chance to speak with Jimmy. Everyone had their own details to add in of all the amazing things she had done while being in their world. Jimmy listened patiently. He would have objected to the idea of magic being real if he hadn't seen Cindy shoot lighting out of her hands. Akiro and Jimmy had a long talk throughout the night about science and magic. The two really got along great actually.

Cindy woke up during the night and found everyone was a sleep except for Conan. He was tending the fire and keeping watch. She realized that Jimmy was laying next to her with his arm around her. She wanted to lay there in his arms but she had to speak with Conan while she had the chance. She kissed Jimmy's hand and then slipped out from under his arm and rolled away.

She sat down next to Conan. "How are you?"

"I'm going great Cindy" You showed an amazing amount of bravery. I wish you could have met Valeria. She would have been proud of you."

"Thanks Conan. I really do appreciate that. I wanted to know what you think of Jehnna?"

"She is a great woman and a great queen. She rules her people fairly." Conan started to say.

"I saw how you two are together. You obviously care about her. She needs a king, Conan and I know she wants you to take the job" Conan turned to look Cindy in the eyes. "Conan I know you loved Valeria but she is gone. She wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your life mourning her loss. Life is for the living not the dead."

"Are you going to tell Jimmy how you feel about him?" Cindy opened her mouth to protest but Conan put a finger up to her lips. "I promise to tell Jehnna how I feel about her if and only if you tell Jimmy how you feel. Deal?"

Cindy grinned and replied "Deal"

To be continued….


	5. Happy endings

Conan and Cindy spoke until it was time for Zula to take watch.

Dawn:

The group got up and gathered their things to be ready to leave. Malak prepared a breakfast of rabbit meat and eggs. Cindy had decided that it would be safer for the group if they all went back to Shadizar together. Plus when it came down to it Cindy wasn't quite ready to leave her adopted home world. Cindy used that morning to bring up the nerve to speak to Jimmy about her true feelings. She asked him to take a short stroll in the woods where she could speak to him without the awkward chance of one of the gang walking over and hearing her. She knew if they did she would lose her nerve.

She felt the conversation was going really well considering. Jimmy told his side of how when they had gone through the gateway there was a power surge and they ended up being transported to two different locations. He had spent night and day searching for any sign of her. He never gave up hope he would find her. It was about a month ago when he ended up getting kidnapped by the worshippers and he had been rendered unconscious. He woke to find himself and Goddard stuck in that cell. It was enchanted and withstood everything Goddard could hit it with. He couldn't really express how happy he was to see her again. Cindy started to try to tell him how much he meant to her but the words just wouldn't come out and her mind went blank. _Say something to him. Let him know how you really feel. _ Jehnna's words came back to her. She had told Cindy that when she was young she had asked Zula "If you want a man what do you do to get him?" Zula had told her "Just reach out and take him." So Cindy reached out and pulled him close and kissed him deeply.

Five years later:

All of Shadizar was celebrating the union of the Vortex and the Neutron family. The Royal Palace had been fully decorated and the Ceremony was about to start. The Main hall was filled with a conglomerate of people from Shadizar and Retroville. The music started to play and Jimmy entered the room being escorted by his mother Judy on his right side and Queen Jehnna on the other. When they reached the alter they turned and waited. Cindy entered next and was escorted by her dad on the right and King Conan on her left.

The ceremony was beautiful and there wasn't a dry eye in the hall. As soon as the words "you may kiss the bride" were uttered Jimmy pulled Cindy in close and kissed her passionately. The entire hall erupted in cheers that traveled out into the city. The announcement reached the farthest regions of the city and everyone celebrated the happy union.

The reception was a lot of fun and because Jimmy didn't want to choose one of his friends to be best man Sheen and Carl took turns roasting the bride and groom. Libby was the maid of honor and her speech filled in the gaps for the people who didn't know the bride and groom personally. Such as how Jimmy and Cindy used to fight all the time to mask the love they clearly no longer hid. The rest of the night consisted of everyone dancing and feasting.

"May we cut in?" Conan and Jehnna politely asked Jimmy and Cindy. She smiled at him and said "We would be honored"

"Congratulations Cindy, I'm very happy for you."

"Thank you, you and Jehnna really made this evening special for us."

"It was our pleasure. You both are like family to us and it's the least I can do, seeing that I would never have gotten together with Jehnna if it weren't for you."

She hugged him tightly and reminded him if it weren't for him she would probably not be alive.

Akiro and Jimmy made sure to always keep the portal open between Retroville and Shadizar. Jimmy, Cindy, Akiro, Conan, Zula, Jehnna, Malak, Libby, Carl, and Sheen remained close and continued to go on adventures together in one world or the other over the years.

Conan quickly got over his apprehension about flying in one of Jimmy's rockets and he was soon looking forward to the next adventure into space. It became common for Conan to take the controls and he would have fun blasting in and out of tight areas in a daredevil manner. Akiro also enthusiastically learned about science and Jimmy willing learned magic. Everyone benefited from their mutual talents.

So we come to the conclusion of this story and to end it in the traditional Conan way…..

And so they sought adventures in distant lands and honor and fear were heaped upon their names.

But that is another story.

P.S. Conan is sure that Ultra-lord would fall at the end of his blade. Sheen rejects that theory.


End file.
